The graphical units work in conjunction with traditional central processing units (CPUs) - the "brains" of desktop and laptop computers - and accelerate the rendering of three-dimensional images in games such as Prince of Persia and Guitar Hero.

Unlike the traditional general-purpose CPUs, GPUs are customized for graphics operations and have many more transistors.

The article notes that manufacturers have developed GPUs that are having a big impact on chemistry, breezing through computations that once would have required all the processing power of a supercomputer.

Chemists have embraced the technology to simulate the movement of molecules in the quest to develop new drugs and materials for solar cells and other products.

The big edge GPUs have over CPUs is in speed, reducing processing times from years to months and months to weeks.

The article was published in the latest issue of Chemical and Engineering News (C and EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine. (ANI)